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Solve It 7: Gazebo Glitch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

A Franklin woman wanted to spruce up her backyard to make it a great place to relax. But she says when contractors didn’t show, she contacted Solve It 7. Jen’s backyard is an oasis — with a stunning pool, lush landscaping, and cozy deck.“We love just being out here and being able to entertain with our family and friends,” Jen said.  To make her backyard a perfect paradise, Jen splurged on something special…“We purchased a gazebo,” Jen said. She paid the store an extra $950 to have it installed.  “Then, they transferred me to their installation company that they use to install the gazebo,” Jen said. Jen says she tried scheduling the job several times:“I just felt like I was in a three-ring circus and being bounced around and contractor after contractor canceling on me and not showing up for the job. It was really frustrating,” Jen said. She says she finally asked t...

Shot For Life All-Stars put on sensational show for charity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

BRAINTREE – In a preliminary matchup, the Shot For Life All-Stars put on a show.In the now-annual All-Star game leading up to the Shot For Life Challenge this Saturday, the Blue and White All-Stars split contests between the best high school shooters in the New England area.Shot For Life founder Mike Slonina basked in the glory of the event and the organization he started has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Dr. Curry Research Lab on the campus of Massachusetts General Hospital in honor of his mother, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in 2010.“We fund trials in tandem CAR-T cell therapy. I started this at 17 when my mom was diagnosed, and while she is OK, we do this for the families that don’t have access to the best therapies,” said Slonina. “This (game) gives the athletes an opportunity to go up and down in our logo and our relationships with the athletes are important. This is just a prelude to the big event.”The event the All-Stars primarily participate in...

Mexico says the first body has been spotted near a floating barrier in the Rio Grande river

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government said Wednesday that the first dead body has been spotted along the floating barrier that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed recently in the Rio Grande river, across from Eagle Pass, Texas. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said authorities are trying to recover the body, and did not know the person’s nationality. Many had warned about the danger of the barrier, because it is designed to make it more difficult for migrants to climb over or swim under it.The department said Mexico had warned about the risks posed by the bright orange, wrecking ball-sized buoys on the Rio Grande. It also claimed the barrier violates treaties regarding the use of the river, and violates Mexico’s sovereignty.“We made clear our concern about the impact on migrants’ safety and human rights that these state policies would have,” the department said in a statement.The barrier was installed in July, and stretches roughly the length of three soccer ...

The Mega Millions jackpot has soared to $1.25 billion. Here’s how hard it is to win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — There’s no shaking it. Your chances of winning the lottery are extremely slim. After no big winner Tuesday night, the Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.25 billion. If someone wins it all on Friday, when the next Mega Millions drawing takes place, the prize would one of the largest in U.S. lottery history.But don’t plan on entering a new tax bracket anytime soon. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot — no matter the size — stand at about 1 in 302.6 million. And chances of taking home a top prize for Powerball, which had an estimated jackpot of $95 million Wednesday, are near 1 in 292.2 million.Because of the almost impossible chance of winning big, experts stress that you shouldn’t spend all your money on lottery tickets. If you choose to play, it’s important to be mindful of what you can afford — and maybe consider other places to put your money, even if it’s just a few dollars at a time.Lottery tickets are “definitely not good investments,” Matt...

Brazil coach Sundhage criticized over the team’s lack of flair after Women’s World Cup exit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil coach Pia Sundhage faced widespread criticism in the South American nation after the team was eliminated in the group stage at the Women’s World Cup.Commentators and fans complained about the team’s lack of flair and Sundhage’s tactics following a 0-0 draw Wednesday against Jamaica, a team Brazil beat 3-0 in the previous Women’s World Cup four years ago. The 63-year-old Swedish coach previously led the United States to two Olympic titles and has been in charge of Brazil since 2019. But her team lost in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and finished third in their World Cup group behind France and Jamaica. It is the first time since 1995 that Brazil didn’t reach the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup.The hashtag ParabensPia (CongratulationsPia in Portuguese) flooded social media channels in Brazil after the game, with many fans complaining that the team lacked creativity and that Sundhage was too cautious in mak...

Woman killed, toddler son among 3 others shot standing on sidewalk on Chicago’s South Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A 23-year-old woman was killed and three other people — including her 2-year-old son — also were shot Wednesday on Chicago’s South Side, police said.The toddler was hospitalized in good condition after being shot in a foot, as were his 29-year-old father, who also was shot in a foot, and a 62-year-old man, who was shot in the back, Chicago Police Department Chief of Patrol Brian McDermott said in a news conference near the scene in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.The victims were standing on a sidewalk around 3 p.m. when assailants got out of a vehicle and opened fire before fleeing the scene, McDermott said. The woman was shot multiple times and died later at a hospital, authorities said.The woman and the 29-year-old man were the parents of the toddler, McDermott said.No one was in custody.The Associated Press

14-year-old boy missing in waters off Hamilton found dead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

The search for a missing 14-year-old who went missing in Lake Ontario off Hamilton has ended in tragedy. Hamilton police confirmed Wednesday night that the teen had been found deceased. No further details were provided as to where the boy’s body was recovered. The teen was reported missing last weekend near Beach Boulevard, east of Hamilton Harbour after a group of young people took an inflatable out on the water.Police say the boy went under the water and never resurfaced.Hamilton police, Hamilton fire, Ontario Provincial Police, the Canadian Coast Guard and Hamilton beach rescue were all part of the intensive search over the last several days.

UN given green light to monitor peace deal between Colombia’s government and its largest rebel group

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Security Council on Wednesday unanimously authorized the U.N. political mission in Colombia to help verify implementation of a cease-fire agreement between the government and the country’s largest remaining guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army.The council also expressed willingness to do the same if a cease-fire is reached with another armed group, the Estado Mayor Central.The U.N. has been monitoring a 2016 peace accord between the government and Colombia’s then largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. It ended more than 50 years of war in which over 220,000 people died and nearly 6 million people were displaced. More than 14,000 FARC fighters gave up their weapons under that agreement, but violence between some rebel groups has grown in parts of Colombia.Colombia’s government asked the council to extend the U.N. mission’s verification mandate to include the June cease-fire deal with the National Liberation A...

1 dead, 3 injured in South Side shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

CHICAGO -- A woman has died, while 3 others remain hospitalized after a shooting on Chicago's South Side Wednesday evening.According to the Chicago Police Departments, officers responded to on the 1200 block of West 81st Street in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on reports of a shooting just before 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday. VIDEO: School bus crashes into home on Northwest Side CPD reported that four victims were standing on the sidewalk on the 1200 block of West 81st Street when a Black vehicle with multiple suspects exited the car and began shooting.A 29-year-old male was shot in the foot and reportedly taken to a local hospital in good condition. Also, a 2-year-old boy was also shot in the foot and hospitalized in fair condition.A 62-year-old male reportedly was reportedly shot in the back and hospitalized in stable condition.CPD also reported that a 23-year-old female was also shot multiple times and she was transported to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead.No s...

Ozempic, Mounjaro manufacturers sued over risk of stomach paralysis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:23:43 GMT

(The Hill) - A Louisiana woman sued the manufacturers of popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro on Wednesday, alleging that the drug makers failed to warn patients about the risk of severe gastrointestinal problems.The lawsuit claims that Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the respective manufacturers of Ozempic and Mounjaro, “downplayed the severity of the gastrointestinal events” caused by their medications, such as gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis, and gastroenteritis, or stomach inflammation.Jaclyn Bjorklund, 44, took Ozempic for more than a year before switching to Mounjaro in July and suffered from “severe gastrointestinal events,” including severe vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning, hospitalization, and the loss of teeth from excessive vomiting, according to the lawsuit.  Doctors are prescribing Ozempic, Mounjaro ‘off label’ for weight loss: Is that allowed? While the labels for both medications note that they delay gastric emptying and can cause a variety...